


A Sunny Path

by Shujinkakusama



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Drabble, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Requited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2016-09-24
Packaged: 2018-08-16 23:28:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8121757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shujinkakusama/pseuds/Shujinkakusama
Summary: Pearl and the others return from the party to find that Garnet has bought Pearl a cellphone. Cue a breakdown. // SxPearl implied, Pearlnet implied, fluffy angsty nonsense. Set directly after 'Last One Out of Beach City.' May continue when we know more about S.





	

Garnet was waiting for them when they returned from Ocean Town, with a phone in hand, and a smile that wasn’t quite approving on her lips. Pearl was mystified, tired and baffled, and Garnet tapped her visor as a reminder of what should have been obvious.

 

She knew.

 

Of course she knew.

 

Pearl thanked her quietly, staring down at the phone in her hands as if it were completely alien. It was a flat-screened device much like Steven’s; she knew the basics. She knew how to work one.

 

The mystery girl’s number would have to be added to its databank, she knew, and she had a feeling she would need Steven to walk her through that part. Amethyst excitedly regaled the details of the evening for Garnet’s benefit, start to finish, sparing nothing in her excitement.

 

“I’m tellin’ ya, G, she was like a rock star!” Amethyst cheered, “Got her number like it’s nothin’ after all that—Ooh you shoulda seen her! It was amazing!”

 

“I bet,” Garnet said warmly, and Pearl looked away, feeling guilty for her part, somehow, despite her best friend’s obvious approval. They weren’t anything more than that. She had nothing to be guilty _for_.

 

Somehow, Garnet’s approval stung like rejection. Pearl stared down at the phone.

 

“Steven should be getting to bed,” Garnet said, nodding toward the boy, who was leaning against the counter, eyes barely open. After walking twenty miles for gas—and mercifully receiving a ride back to the Dondai—he was utterly exhausted. “And Pearl has a new toy to figure out.”

 

Steven yawned widely, barely protesting as Pearl helped him up the stairs. A garbled attempt at offering to help with the phone made itself known, and Pearl shushed him, assuring him that she would wait until he was awake before she did anything. Steven offered her something that sounded like a promise of moral support, and fell asleep far too quickly once he’d been tucked in to hear that Pearl was confident that she would be fine.

 

She had other things to be nervous about now, anyway.

 

Pearl slipped back to the living room without a sound, careful not to wake Steven as she went, only to find that Amethyst had taken over the couch, sprawled out and snoring loudly. She couldn’t tell if it was for effect.

 

“Let’s talk in my room,” Garnet suggested, gathering up Pearl’s free hand in hers. “You had quite the night.”

 

There was no arguing that. Pearl found that she had difficulty arguing with Garnet about most things, but right now, she was tired, emotionally and physically, and she wanted—something. Pearl nodded minutely, and Garnet tugged her toward the Temple door.

 

Garnet’s room was as warm as ever, and Pearl sank down against the wall farthest from the lava pit. She stared at the phone in her left hand for several seconds, then tucked it away in her Gem. The phone could wait for Steven to wake up later.

 

“It sounds like a wild party,” Garnet said at length, adjusting her visor as she regarded Pearl. “Especially the part before you actually got there.”

 

Pearl bit her lip hard, eyes downcast. Her voice was small when she spoke. “I’m sorry.”

 

“You didn't do anything wrong,” Garnet said gently. “The worst you did was risk Steven’s life, and you’re a good enough driver. I was never worried about that.”

 

She said nothing for several moments, finally turning wide eyes upward to look at Garnet. “I feel guilty,” Pearl admitted, brows furrowed, “I chased a strange woman across the state, risked Steven and Amethyst’s lives to do it, almost lost Greg’s car—and I come home, and you’ve bought me a phone so I can _call_ her—“

 

“You don’t feel _that_ guilty about the car,” Garnet cut in, removing her visor and lowering herself to sit adjacent from the other Gem. “But you feel guilty for chasing that girl.”

 

It was completely unsurprising that Garnet was right. Pearl nodded miserably, drew her legs up to her chest, and rested her hands on her knees. “I shouldn’t have done all that,” she mumbled, “I know better. She’s human, and we have much bigger concerns, and I _know_ better, Garnet—“

 

The Fusion nodded. “You do,” she agreed, and she dropped her voice to a whisper. “She isn’t Rose. But you know that.”

 

“I don’t _want_ her to be.”

 

Garnet smiled, reaching out to smooth Pearl’s bangs away from her Gem. Her best friend leaned into her touch with a tired sigh, looking lost and small and like she might cry. “She won’t be,” she murmured, “And that’s why I got you the phone. So you can find out who she is. And don’t go making that face—it doesn’t mean what you’re thinking. I don’t love you less for looking. I’m proud of you.”

 

Pearl swallowed hard, blinking rapidly against her tears. “I still want it to be you one day!” she blurt out, throwing her arms around Garnet’s shoulders and burying her face in her neck. Garnet let her, drew her in closer, and listened as Pearl babbled incoherently about her misplaced guilt.

 

“Ssh, ssh,” Garnet whispered close to her ear, “You haven’t done anything wrong. This doesn’t change anything between us.”

 

Because there was nothing to change. Not since the incident at the Communication Hub months back. They had boundaries now, no matter how wobbly those lines were, how easy to forget. Garnet knew Pearl’s feelings for her were anything but platonic, and she felt the same—mostly. But it wasn’t the time. It never was.

 

Pearl breathed shakily, hot and wet against Garnet’s throat as she tried to reign in her tears. “It feels like it will,” she whimpered, “It’s not… it isn’t fair. If I like you both. I shouldn’t make you _wait_. I shouldn’t lead her on. This is _exactly_ what Rose did, and—“

 

“Breathe in,” Garnet instructed her, and she breathed with Pearl when she managed to comply. “Now breathe out. And again; in… out.”

 

Pearl obeyed, matched her breathing with her best friend’s, and soon enough her tears had stopped. Garnet ruffled her hair fondly.

 

“Now listen to me, Pearl,” Garnet’s voice was firm. Meeting her glassy gaze as Pearl drew back, she smiled. “This is a good step forward. I _want_ you to try this. I want to see you happy. I want you to move on. And… I want to be there if you need me, if this doesn’t work out. And I will. This doesn’t mean we’ll never be together.”

 

“But she and I—is it wrong? Garnet, I don’t know, I don’t know _how_ to be in a relationship, I’ve never… And it can’t last forever, she’s _human_ , what if…”

 

“Be honest,” Garnet said softly, running long fingers through the fringe of Pearl’s hair. “Tell her about me. About us. About Rose. See how she reacts. She might not mind. And if she does, and you do want to be together, I’ll back off until it’s appropriate. If she does mind, you don’t have to call her again. Or you can call her until you lose interest. There’re a million possibilities… and most of ‘em are pretty good. Start by calling her.”

 

Pearl managed a nod, swallowed a knot in her throat, and hugged Garnet a little more gingerly this time. “Okay,” she murmured, “I… I’ll do that. Thank you.”

 

“I’m not entirely innocent here,” Garnet admitted, “There’re plenty of other paths. I just think this one will be the one that makes you happiest. Besides,” she chuckled here, and Pearl could hear the faint strain in it. “You shouldn’t be waiting around for me to change my mind. It’ll happen one day. And if I have to wait for you, I will.”

 

“But—“

 

“It’s just one possibility, Pearl,” Garnet said gently, “But… I do want you to try. I’m _glad_ you tried. Moving on won’t be easy, but you’re strong enough to do it. You can do this. You _should_.”

 

Pearl nodded, drawing back to look up at her best friend and managing a watery smile. “You’re amazing,” she murmured, “I don’t know how… I don’t know where I’d be without you. I really don’t.”

 

“Probably on the couch, tryin’ to figure out Steven’s phone,” Garnet teased, “But honestly… you’re amazing, too. It goes both ways. This girl must’ve been pretty impressive to catch your eye.”

 

Turquoise flooded Pearl’s cheeks at that, and she looked away. “She’s very pretty,” she admitted, “I… I don’t know more than that, yet. Her hair is pink. Someone in Ocean Town did it for her. Her voice is low, and she has these green eyes—they’re lovely. She seems nice.”

 

Garnet grinned around the taste of cotton on her tongue. Jealousy wasn’t appropriate, not now, and she leaned in to nuzzle Pearl’s cheek fondly with her nose. “Don’t forget to get her name when you call her,” she said smoothly, “That part’s kind of important.”

 

Pearl nodded. "I will."


End file.
